Currently, there are many applications for cement and concrete in most areas of construction. Since cement sets very quickly once water is added, batches typically must be mixed on site. For very small amounts of cement, manual labor (i.e. trowel and shovel) can be relied upon for mixing. Conversely, for relatively large amounts of cement, one can more economically purchase truckloads of a mixture which are delivered to the site in cement trucks. However, for the amounts between these extremes, mixing cement is not an easy, efficient task.
For example, a rotatable motor-driven container having an opening may be filled with a cement mix and water. After mixing, the container can be tilted for pouring a mixed cement into forms or for emptying the contents of the container into other containers for carrying to the desired location at a work site. A typical total mixing time for 240 pounds of cement in such rotatable containers is about 15 minutes and the cleanup of the container is both time consuming and messy.
As another example, an attachment-type mixer having a shaft can be coupled to a power drill for mixing a batch of cement. However, one problem with the attachment-type mixers currently available is that the shafts are short relative to a height of an operator. The short shaft of the attachment-type mixer forces the operator to bend over a container while mixing. Such a bending motion places strain on the lower back of the operator and positions a face of the operator within a “splash area” of the material being mixed. Accordingly, the use of conventional attachment-type mixers can result in splashing a caustic material into the face of the operator.
It is well documented by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and other entities that construction workers suffer a high incidence of injuries to the lower back, eyes, and face. Many of these injuries occur while mixing drywall and other alkali/caustic materials in buckets with attachment-type mixers coupled to hand-held power drills.
Another problem with conventional attachment-type mixers is that the attachment-type mixer is not anchored to a static base. Accordingly, the attachment-type mixers typically bounce around and have erratic movement during a mixing operation. Additionally, a container holding the material to be mixed can also be caused to move and spin due to the rotation of the attachment-type mixer.
Furthermore, it is understood that colloid materials such as cement tend to have a high viscosity. Accordingly, using the conventional attachment-type mixers with a hand-held drill can cause the drill motor to overheat and may lead to premature and permanent failure.
The shortcomings of the prior art can also result in incomplete and inconsistent mixing of the material to be mixed. Incomplete mixing requires the operator to manual mix the material or repeat a mixing operation, wasting time and material. In industrial processes, incomplete and inconsistent mixing leads to production delays, product defects, wasted energy and safety issues.
It would be desirable to provide a cost-efficient mixing device that mixes a material in a substantially uniform and consistent manner while minimizing a force required to operate the mixing device.